Integrated Transport Centre calls upon vehicle owners to register in "Darb" toll gate system and activate their accounts

Abu Dhabi - The Abu Dhabi's Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) of the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) called upon vehicles owners to set up and activate their accounts online with “Darb” Toll Gate System, through the traffic toll gate system website https://darb.itc.gov.ae  or “Darb” mobile Application (App Store | Google Play | AppGallery(. Registered customers will benefit from “Darb” high-quality digital infrastructure by managing their accounts effectively and complete all related transactions seamlessly.

ITC urges all individual and Establishment customers owning vehicles, to either register in “Darb” Toll Gate System or activate their pre-registered accounts as soon as possible by visiting "Darb" website and create their individual or establishment accounts. ITC invites users to ensure that their accounts are activated and that all their vehicles are duly registered, with sufficient wallet balance in order to avoid fines. The vehicle registration fee to Darb account is AED 100 per vehicle, of which AED 50 will be credited as a balance in the registered account.

Darb Toll Gate System Activation on January 2, 2021

Starting from January 2, 2021, ITC announced that Darb Toll Gate System will be activated in four gates located on the bridges leading to Abu Dhabi city: Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Bridge, Al Maqta Bridge and Mussafah Bridge. This approach aims to smoothen the traffic flow, enhance the efficiency of the transport sector, reduce the use of individual vehicles and encourage community members to use alternative means of transport, which aligns with Abu Dhabi's Surface transport Master Plan.

Additionally, implementing the traffic Toll Gate System allows drivers to organize their schedules and plan their trips in advance. As well as choosing the most appropriate times to travel and to determine the best transport alternatives, which will positively influence the sustainability of the transport sector and preserve the infrastructure and environment. This will also improve the roads quality and adopt the best specifications and standards for various means of transport. ITC expresses its gratitude to its stakeholders: Abu Dhabi Police, Monitoring and Control Centre, Abu Dhabi Digital Authority and the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship for their continuous support and contribution to the success of Darb system activation.

Toll collection is limited to peak hours only

According to the provisions of the executive regulations and the resolution related to traffic toll system, ITC will charge AED 4 each time a vehicle crosses any of the mentioned gates above during peak times from Saturday to Thursday from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM, and from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

A daily and monthly caps for individual vehicle tolls

To ensure a balance between appropriate strategic solutions to alleviate traffic congestion and the economic impact contemplated by those solutions, the executive regulations of DMT fixed the maximum daily tolls for individual vehicles at AED 16 per vehicle, with a complete exemption during off-peak times, Fridays and public holidays.

According to the regulations, the monthly toll cap for each individual vehicles depends on the order of the vehicle in the system, with a maximum of AED 200 for the first vehicle, AED 150 for the second vehicle, and AED 100 for each additional vehicle. In case one of the individual vehicles is exempted, the monthly limit will be applied to the remaining vehicles. For corporate vehicles, only approved tolls will be applied, without applying the daily or monthly toll cap.

The predefined monthly cap for the individual vehicles will contribute to a tangible reduction in the charges paid by road users and maintain the goals of the toll system to reduce congestion and enhance the traffic flow, especially at peak times.

The fees will be deducted automatically from the user's account balance that is prepaid through an integrated and advanced e-payment wallet. Vehicles will be captured through their plate number without the need to affix any label on the vehicle’s windshield.

Exempted Categories

DMT and ITC announced a traffic toll exemption to four community groups: Senior Emiratis, retired Emiratis, People of Determination, limited-income Emiratis, provided that the exemption will be limited to one vehicle only, according to the controls set to achieve the highest levels of social and economic stability and to keep providing them with all the needed support.

ITC requested the exempted categories to visit Darb website, register in the system and apply for exemption request by specifying the type of exemption and attaching the necessary documents.

People of Determination Category: It is not required for the vehicle to be registered in the name of the person of determination directly. All what is needed is to attach the People of Determination Card issued by the Ministry of Community Development or the Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination. To benefit from the exemption, the vehicle must be owned by a first or second-degree relative only.

The exemption can be transferred from one vehicle to another at the request of the exemption holder. In such cases, the first vehicle exemption will be cancelled.

Senior Emirati Category: As defined by law, elderly citizens include every UAE national aged 60 years and above. It is required that the vehicle is registered in the name of the concerned person.

Limited-income Emirati Category: This category must meet the conditions set by the concerned government entities for supporting low-income Emiratis. Those who are applying for toll gate exemption are required to hold a document proving their eligibility under this category.

Retired Emirati Category: this category applies on the retirees defined by the concerned authority in the UAE.

Additionally, the vehicles exempted from toll gate fees include: ambulance, armed forces and civil defense vehicles bearing their number plates and emblems, public buses, public taxi vehicles licensed in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, school buses authorized by ITC, passenger buses (with a capacity of 26 passengers and above), vehicles bearing the plate number of Abu Dhabi Police, Ministry of Interior or local police of other emirates, towed vehicles, and motorcycles. Registration in Darb is mandatory for all users, including those eligible for exemptions.

Accordingly, all vehicles must be registered in the system before crossing the toll gates. In case a vehicle is not registered in the toll gate system and crosses through the toll gates, the user will be given a grace period of ten business days to register the vehicle in Darb system, otherwise, a fine would be applied.

Users should also ensure sufficient balance in their accounts when crossing the toll gates. However, the vehicles registered in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi can pay toll gate fee via post-payment system upon initiating any procedure related to vehicle licensing in case the registered vehicle does not have sufficient balance.

In case the vehicle registered outside the Emirate of Abu Dhabi crosses the gates with insufficient balance in the wallet, the user will be given a grace period of five business days to recharge the account, otherwise, a fine would be applied.

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© Press Release 2020